Shadows and Gold Fries
by 16DarkMidnight80
Summary: One-shots revolving around my Shadows and Gold universe. It will always be marked complete as each one is it's own. I suggest reading the actual story first. Ratings vary, but I just want to play it safe.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey there, everyone! Okay, so I decided to do something that other authors have done, specifically my fantastic beta,_** Alathea2**_. You should check out those stories, they are pretty dang good, in my opinion. Anyways, so I decided to kind of do a prequel/side-stories to my current story (as of Wed 4 Sep 2013), _Shadows and Gold_. I suggest reading that story before reading these, because I don't think it will make much sense otherwise. _

_Please note that any mistakes are my own, and I do not own anything but the plot and my OCs. This will not be beta-ed and will always be marked as complete, because each story is it's own. Until I have finished with_ Shadows and Gold_, I will keep all the time periods up to it only, so I will not influence anyone into making the wrong assumptions and getting angry because my side-story section didn't follow the actual story line. _

_However, I will take suggestions and will go far into the past. I will mark what POV the section is in, and any additional notes. All of my time-telling comes from another amazing author, _**Karategal**_. _

_Sorry this note is so long, but you really should read it so you aren't missing out on anything important. Updates will be when I get to them. My main concern is _SandG_ as of now. Thanks, have fun, and have an amazing day!_

_P.S. I own nothing._

… … … …

Title: Tiny Little Guy

Word Count: 1372

Warnings: None

POV: Maia

Summary: Maia's home after a long time being away from home due to her studies. What she sees when she walks through that door will change her life forever.

… … …

Before I left because of my education, I never dreamed of being gone from home for so long. The long, forever-stretching distance between Praxus and Kaon didn't help, either. Kaon wasn't the nicest of city-states, or the cleanest, or the best. And it most certainly wasn't the safest, either. However, they had something that no other city-state had, and that was an education center focused on all forms of physical and mental skills.

The Kaonian Institute for Warriors was a one-of-a-kind place. It trained bots mercilessly; long joors spent honing skills and learning new ones. They never accepted more than a few dozen, and I was one of the lucky few that had been specifically chosen. I had always wanted to be a soldier, ever since I saw them parading through Praxus, helms held high, faceplates still and unyielding, but a warm glint in their optics.

For almost six and half vorns I had been in Kaon, separated from my creators. I was no longer their little femme anymore, though. I had grown much during the time I spent in Kaon and on trips that we took all around Cybertron, and not just in the physical sense. Yes, I had a new frame, one that fit my growing and expanding protoform, but I also was more disciplined and mature.

Now, however, my creators had sent for me to come back to my city of flare and crystals. They had a surprise for me, and I couldn't wait. When the shuttle hadn't even come to a complete stop I had jumped off and began racing towards my home. We lived a modest part of the city, not quite outside of it, but definitely not inside.

"Spock, Softspeed, I'm home!" I called when I threw open the front door to our house. It all appeared to have changed, I noticed, as I froze just inside the doorway. The table we always sat at when we'd have our energon was moved, the washracks had a funny scent, and many small toys, ones that I recognized as my own sparkling toys, were strewn about the floor in the gathering room.

"Maia?" called out the tired voice of my sire.

"Yeah. I'm home," I said, less enthused than when I had first entered. My creator came out of the small room that he had always used as his office, rubbing his bleary optics. He was very tired, I could tell, so I helped him to the low backed couch and sat next to him. His arm wrapped around me, hugging me tightly to his reinforced frame.

"I've missed you, my little Metalflyer," he whispered my secondary designation in my audio, tightening his grip on me ever so slightly. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Spock," I spoke softly, nuzzling my helm into his neck, careful not to nick him with my chevron. Ever since I was a sparkling, I had always loved to dream about being a Metalflyer. They were just fictional flying creatures that breathed fire or ice, with large, expansive wings that lifted their bodies up and made them even faster than the fastest Seeker. Since I pretended so much that I was one of those large, dangerous metal beings, Spock had always called me his 'little Metalflyer.' The term of endearment still warmed my spark as it did way back then.

"Come, I want to show you something," the cobalt and black mech stood, setting me on the ground, and gestured me to follow. Confused, I trailed behind him, still seeing subtle changes in my home. Of course things would change. I _was_ gone for the almost seven vorns, everything changes. I'm a walking testament to that. "Softspeed?" Spock called to his sparkmate, as we stood right outside his office. "Maia is here; she's home."

"You can come in," called my carrier's soft, almost musical voice. Spock let me enter first, and I froze when I caught sight of Softspeed, wings freezing in a high position that almost hit my sire in his faceplates. Before I even settled my gaze on my carrier, I noticed the large changes in the room I had, once upon a time, been forbidden to enter. Not that that stopped me, of course.

The large desk was gone, as well as the matching chair. The datapad shelf was filled with sparkling stories, toys, and pictures of the entire family, including a faceplate I didn't recognize. The walls had been repainted from their harsh steel grey to a soft cream color, and a crib, my old one, sat where the desk used to be.

My mostly pink creator turned in her chair to gaze at me tiredly, but her stunning smile still gracing her symmetrical faceplates. However, it was not the sight of my carrier that rooted me where I stood. No, instead it was what she held in her servos, wrapped in a heating blanket.

Spock pushed me closer to Softspeed gently, and I had the vague notion that they both knew I was stunned. But by their expressions that I could see out of my peripheral vision, they were still apprehensive about the situation. Slowly, like someone had chained heavy metal blocks to my pedes, I moved closer to inspect the small bundle.

Judging by the chevron that had already started to bud, I knew that the little thing was a mech. When had they had another sparkling? Were they trying to replace me? Unknown to myself, I was starting to project feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and a kind of grief nameless to anyone who had never had a younger sibling to my creators.

"Maia…we still love you," Softspeed crooned as she held the small mech in one arm and pulled me onto her lap with the other. "We are not trying to replace you. We just wanted someone else to share our love; we wanted you to have a sibling."

"What's its designation?" I choked out, golden-amber optics still locked on the tiny frame.

"His designation is Prowl," Spock answered. That's what they were going to call me if I turned out to be a mech.

"He's so _small_, though!" I said fiercely, but quiet enough that I wouldn't wake the small protoform.

"All the newly sparked Praxians are this small," my pink and grey carrier replied. "You were even tinier." I remembered the stories well. I was sparked too early, with a low chance of survival, and thus was the littlest protoform my creators had ever seen. After two reabsorptions, they didn't know if they could handle the premature deactivation of their first online sparkling, but I pulled through, much to their excitement.

"Can…can I hold him?" I asked tentatively, almost scared that they would deny me to hold my brother. Spock lifted me off of my carrier's lap and after she stood, he plopped me back onto the chair. Softspeed showed me how to hold him and she carefully set him in my arms.

I couldn't tear my gaze from him. He didn't have any primary armor yet, but his protoform was full of sharp edges and soft contrasts. I didn't notice my creators starting to walk out, gentle and loving smiles upon their faceplates. My new brother, Prowl, was a handsome little mech already. I would have to beat the femmes and mechs off of him when he came of age when he no longer thought that love was gross and a stupid thing.

His sudden shifting caught me off guard, and I froze, unsure what to do. His optics onlined gradually, and I quickly noted that they were the same shade as my own. When he focused on me, I was unsure as to what he would do. Would he go back into recharge? Would he start to cry and scream?

One little servo wiggled out of his cocoon, and began to reach out to my faceplates. I lifted him higher so he could his tiny servo on my faceplate. I smiled at his wide-optic expression, and he gurgled in greeting.

"I'll always protect you, Prowl, and I will always love you. Even if you become a murderer, you'll always be my little brother, and I'll never leave your side."

… … … …

_Short, yes, but I think it gets the point across just fine. So Maia met Prowl for the first time, and was actually pretty accepting of him. I don't do over dramatics, one because I'm no good at it, and second, I personally find no use in it. I try to be as realistic as I can, but at the same time, putting a little embellishment into it. _

_A little help with the vocabulary: when I mentioned that Maia didn't live in Praxus but not completely out of it, it's kind of like a suburb. _

_-A secondary designation is like a nickname. _

_-A Metalflyer is a dragon; I didn't want to go with the usual Cyberdragon or anything like that, so I made up my own name (and I have absolutely no creativity, so it's not all that good, but oh well.) _

_-With Praxians, I think there is a way early on to distinguish between femmes and mechs, and that's by looking at the spots where wings and a chevron would come in because the mechs get them first. _

_-Reabsorption is like miscarrying, but instead of like in humans where we expel the fetus, it actually gets reabsorbed into the body like a deer. _

_-And to tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure why Spock and Softspeed picked the same color optics for Prowl as Maia; it just happened, I guess._

_-No, Spock is _not_ named for what you think he is; he was actually a family friend's dog._

_Anyways, I hope you liked it. Please leave your comments and suggestions, because I can't do it all myself. Have an amazing day, all!_


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Lie to Me

Word Count: 1272

Warnings: Lots of repeating of phrases/words and mostly dialogue, but otherwise, no.

POV: Prowl (almost out of sparkling-hood/beginning of youngling-hood)

Summary: Maia was back home, and she and her little brother Prowl have a spark-to-spark talk about her and her life.

… … … …

Softspeed and Spock were out, having a nice meal of quality energon at a friend's complex deeper in the spark of Praxus. They had left me in the care of my sister, Maia. Earlier in the orn, we had played with my blocks, puzzles, and games that she said would be good for my processor.

Now, though, we were relaxing on our low-backed couch in front of the holo-shower, that played a rerun of one of my favorite shows. I was snuggled in the strong, black arms of Maia, doorwings fluttering every now and again.

"Little Guy?" I looked up to my sister, curious as to why she called the secondary designation she had given me with during my first orns of life. She smiled a bit, squeezing me a little closer to her much larger frame. "How have your studies been?" I shrugged my doorwings; I still had to practice a lot to make sure I could fully use them when I was older. "Come on now, Little Guy, you know how they've been. Is someone picking on you?" Her voice suddenly carried a dangerous note to it, but I knew it wasn't directed at me.

"No," I answered, my optics searching hers. "It's just so…slow," I replied miserably, looking away.

"Would it make you any happier if you were put into more advanced classes?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't I be picked on then?" I was one of the smartest bots in all the classes, and I was _the_ smartest of my own class. But I didn't make friends easily, and of the few I did have, they were in my own age group.

"I'm sure if you just mentioned I was your older sister they wouldn't bother you," she answered with another one of her almost-smiles. Her reputation certainly was known around the building; one that would probably be passed down as long as the place stood.

"Will you always be here for me?" I asked, bringing my optics back up to my sister's faceplates. She sighed through her vents, looking away momentarily.

"I will never promise anything out of servo." I felt like I was going to keen just then. She wouldn't be there for me. She would _never_ be there for me! I tried to force my way out of her servos, but she held me tight to her. "Hey, Prowl, calm down!" she scolded and I immediately ceased struggling; if she ever used my real designation, she really meant it. "All I said was that I wouldn't promise anything _out of servo_. Not that I wouldn't be there. But I need you to listen to me carefully, okay?" I nodded and she sat me on the couch, getting off of it to kneel in front of me. Her beautiful golden-amber optics bore into mine, and I couldn't tear my gaze away, even if I wanted to. She just had this…something about her that made me always want to listen to her.

"You may not understand what I'm telling you right now, but when you're older, and the time is right, you'll get it, okay?" I nodded quickly, eager to hear what she had to say. "You know I'm almost an adult, almost ready for my first adult upgrade. And you know there are some things I can't talk about from my time spent in Kaon and on all my…trips. This is one of the reasons I won't promise you things out of servo.

"But when you get down on your luck, when you need help, when you need someone to just listen, when you just need _me_, I will always, always, _always_ be there for you. It may not be exactly how you like it, but I will be there.

"My job is going to keep me away for long lengths of time. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you its all bright and happy things that I do. Or that I'll always be safe. Or that I'll be the same next time I see you. Or that I won't do things that are bad. But I _will_ promise you this: I will try my hardest to look to the optimistic side of things. I'll try my hardest to see you as soon as I possibly can, and that I'll try to stay away from the bad things, and that I'll try to stay as safe as I can. All I can do is try, have a little luck, and have faith in Primus.

"There's going to be a point in your life when you need me so badly, that you are going to _physically hurt_ because of it. You are going to need that piece of advice, or that helpful hint, or need that one bot beaten up. And I'm not going to be there to give it to you, or beat up that stupid mech or femme to protect you. And you're going to get so angry that you'll hope I never come home to you, Softspeed, and Spock. Then you're going to feel so guilty, that you feel like you could just deactivate yourself where you stand.

"But you'll always have our carrier and sire, and they'll help you through your hardships. They'll forgive you, they'll be disappointed in you, you guys will fight and scream, and then make up, keening until you feel exhausted. They'll help you be strong, and you'll always have them.

"More importantly, you'll always have me. No matter if I do or don't answer to comm calls or to your probing of our bond, just know that I'm always here for you. I don't care if you become a poor mech on the street, or the richest artist ever, or the worst criminal, you will, forever, be my little brother. Nothing can change that. And I'll always be your big sister.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Little Guy, and you don't understand it all, but you will, all in good time. I promise I will _try_, but I won't promise that I will. However, there is one promise I want you to make…"

"What is it?" I quickly asked, optics wide, staring at Maia.

"You will try you're hardest to be a mech that I'm proud of. So proud that every time your designation comes up in a conversation, I'll say, 'Yep, that's my brother. Isn't he the best?'"

"I promise," I said hurriedly. "I promise I will." I got a crooked grin from my sister, who opened her arms to me.

"Come here, Little Guy. Give me a hug." I scampered into her awaiting arms, feeling her soft, silent ventilations on my smaller frame, her warm arms filling me with a sense of peace. "Time for berth, Little Guy." Maia lifted me from the couch, taking me to my berth, and I had the feeling I was floating with how she walked and carried me.

After laying me on my berth and tucking me in, checking under it to make sure no Metalflyers or Creepies were hiding there, she nuzzled my chevron with her own.

"I will _never_ stop loving you, though, Prowl, and that is one promise I don't hesitate to make." She kissed the center of my red chevron and left my room, walking back to the gathering room. My processor was whirling with everything she had told me, and like she said, I barely understood any of it. Falling into recharge, a smile on my faceplate, I never would've imagined that I would ever need her words so much as I did through every next phase of my life.

… … … …

_I own nothing whatsoever, except my OCs. _


	3. Chapter 3

_I wrote this, trying to think like the bot who's POV it is. However, my style is always more proper than this, so it was pretty hard to put myself in that place, like I had done with _S&G_, so forgive me if it seems out of place with how I normally __write. Please leave your comments in the review section, and enjoy. I don't own anything, sadly._

Title: Students Becoming Teachers

Word Count: 2307

Warnings: If you count Cybertronian swear words, then yes. Blame a mech with a dirty mouth.

POV: Jazz (Didn't see that one coming, did you?)

Summary: Jazz is new to the whole saboteur thing. Sure, he has a knack for getting into tight spots, and using flare to get out, but what he never realized was how much potential he had. Until now.

… … … …

The Kaonian Institute for Warriors wasn't anything like I had been imagining ever since I got that datapad, saying they wanted me in their program. I had been picturing high walls with electricity running through them, guards posted everywhere, mechs and femmes in training to be out in the courtyard. All in all, nothing would've ever prepared me for what I was about to see.

Yeah, the walls were high, thick with layer upon layer of metal and rock, and the buildings looked ominous, but other than that, it looked pretty unremarkable. A guard, a tarnished grey-green mech, twice my size, walked up to me, moving the gates aside with no effort. And they were pretty fraggin' huge gates, too.

"You must be the newest recruit," the much older mech said, coming to stand in front of me. He had a slightly modified Crystal City frame, one that had smooth lines contrasting with sharp corners. Not showing my growing anxiety, I grinned broadly.

"Yep," I chirped, visor flashing, but with dread rather than delight. The old mech stared down at me with his three purple optics, lip plates turned down in a frown.

"You show the world you are unafraid, and yet make no move to come closer." I couldn't help but gape at the mech's wisdom. "If you truly are open to coming in, please, make your move." Determination setting over my features and my spark, I took one confident step after another, getting ever closer to the battered frame. When I got to his side, he nodded me in, and I did, but never kept my sensors off of him. Something was off about the mech, and it made me naturally suspicious.

Without speaking, the grey-green mech strode ahead of me, obviously expecting me to follow. I complied, if only to learn more about the strange, all-knowing mech. He lead me through the halls, deeper underground, and eventually walked into a large room. It looked to be a lecture hall, with its many seats and single podium in the front.

I noticed a couple more bots were being lead in by older mechs and femmes, of all ages and sizes. My companion pointed to a chair, and I promptly sat in it. I didn't want to mess up any more. And yes, I did consider the easy reading done by the mech a mistake. About fifteen more bots filled the front row seats beside me, and their companions walked away, leaving two in front. One was my mech, while the other was a slightly younger mech, with a typical Polyhexian frame, much like my own, with sensory horns and a resilient crystalline visor covering his faceplate, all the way down to his lip plates.

"Welcome," he greeted, "to the Kaonian Institute for Warriors. You are here for very special reasons, and had been servo-chosen from thousands of applicants. However, do not pat yourself on your back struts just yet. There is much work to be done before you are even considered for training."

So we didn't even get to train? That's a pile of slag. I wanna beat the slag outta something! The Crystal City mech swung his gaze over us, but froze on me. There was a slight narrowing of purple optics before he turned impassive once more.

"There are not many mechs and femmes here at the Institute, so you will learn all bots by designation, faceplate, and spark signature. Each one of you has a talent that drew our attention to you, and thus is the reason why _you_ are here, and not the ally-basher. To begin, and as silly and youngling-like it may seem, we _will_ do introductions.

"I am Backstop. I was sparked in Polyhex to a merchant and gang leader, strange as it may seem. I was recruited in my last youngling frame, and specialize in retrieval of information and prisoners. You may go next." Backstop pointed to a slim mech to the far left. Each bot went, telling who they were, where they were sparked and who to, and a little personal information. Admittedly, no one had such an interesting heritage as the deep blue mech with the vibrant orange visor. Eventually, the line dwindled down to me, the last mech standing…figuratively speaking.

"Ah'm Jazz, sparked and raised in Polyhex. Mah creator and carrier were both musicians, but mah carrier liked ta sing more. Ah love music 'n wanna be the best saboteur eva." Backstop nodded, turning his helm slightly to the mech beside him. With a nod…he left. Why was he leaving? I thought _every bot_ had to share? Aft.

… … …

We had to take a lot of classes to determine if I could stay, and then what department I would be put into. It took over twenty orns for the decision to be made, but I was finally put into Infiltration and Sabotage. Just what I wanted. However, I just didn't expect to see such a _smoking hot_ educator!

She looked almost like a replica of the descriptions of Solus Prime, just on a smaller scale. She was lean and strong, silver optics tinted with gold, a dark grey and deep, deep blue paintjob, with a helm ornament on the back, one that helped with balance and absorbing impact to the helm. The femme had to be a helm taller than me, but she stood with poise and an elegance I could only dream of matching. However, there was something hardened about her, like she had the weight of Cybertron on her shoulder guards, but didn't dare take it off. What an enigma.

Besides me, there were four in the class, and I could tell that I was the most inexperienced. I hadn't seen the others at the debriefing twenty orns ago when I had first arrived. The mechs that were in there didn't acknowledge my presence, and neither did the beautiful femme, except for a quick flick of her optics. I stood where I was, not willing to intrude further. Well, I wasn't actually intruding, but it sure felt like it.

"Dismissed," the tall femme said, voice of a Guardian of Primus, I was deactivate-sure. The others left with a deep bow, glancing my way, but not stopping. Once the door slid shut soundlessly, she motioned me up onto the raised platform where she stood. "You must be Jazz. I have heard much about you."

"Well thank ya." I smiled, but it was quickly wiped off by her stoic, icy expression.

"Do not jump to conclusions, Jazz. Do not assume that what I heard was positive in any way, shape, or form." Her frown was one I never wanted to see again. I swear, this was worse than when I was scolded by my creators for doing something bad. And never once did her voice change in tone, but it was all in the optics. She only let through what she wanted bots to see. Wow.

"Ah'm sorry. Won't happen 'gain," but she shook her helm, the ornament swaying back and forth slightly.

"Do not promise things out of servo, especially if you don't know if you'd be able to keep it." She looked me over once, then continued on with a different topic. "You are young and ambitious. The latter is an admirable quality, but only in moderation. Too little, and you fail. Too much, and again, you fail. It is a delicate balance, one I had no doubt you will master.

"My designation is Shadowstriker, but you may shorten it to Shadow. I have heard what you said at the debriefing all those orns ago, and have read your file. Your past does not matter, though, and you will make your own future. I will not hold past deeds over your helm. And doing so to yourself will only impede your ability to learn and grow." She paused, circling me like a predator. "Never will I give you answers. I will help you out, and try to point you in the right direction, but I won't give it to you. You must find it yourself."

Shadow fell into a defensive stance, one I had learned in my early youngling vorns. With a barely-there twist of the servo, she gestured me to attack. I dropped into a stance of offense and began to attack, punching and kicking. Next thing I knew, I was on my chassis, faceplate being ground into the hard flooring, my arms twisted painfully behind me and a slightly heeled pede resting dangerously on my neck.

"You rely too much on skill. Talent will only take you so far, Jazz." Shadow released me and I grunted as I stood, already aching from the short lesson. "You will learn quickly."

… … …

Vorns had passed, and Shadowstriker remained my mentor throughout the entire time. Sometimes she was gone, away on missions I knew nothing about, and we had a substitute. But it was never the same. I remember the last orn I spent with her like it was just a breem ago…

"There is nothing else to teach you, Jazz. You have surpassed me by great leaps and bounds. It is with great honor that I dub you as the 'best saboteur eva.'" I smirked at her words, remembering that I had said that all those vorns ago. Back when I was a mere youngling with only a hint as to what the real world was like and what it was full of.

"Thank ya much, Shadow. Ya stood 'side me all these vorns…" I would've continued, but the femme cut me off.

"Jazz, I have told you before, never thank me. It is a privilege to teach bots like you. No thanks are ever needed, or welcome." She smiled a bit, just a small twist of her lip plates, but it was one I had fallen for. I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I looked back at it, I had been slowly falling for this femme. But she wasn't looking for someone to court her, and she never showed any interest in me. "Come with me, I wish to show you something." Like the obedient student I was, I followed.

Shadow took me through the compound, looking at the buildings with a longing gaze, like she was drinking everything in for the last time. I did the same. The next orn I was due to leave for Iacon, where I had been hired for a special branch of the government, unknown to most.

We ended up at the top of the tallest building, the debriefing and refueling hall. We sat at a corner, looking over the dirty, corrupted city of Kaon. The bright lights from the Coliseum where the fights were glowed in the darkness.

"Jazz, I want to share with you a secret, one that you must never tell any bot about, even if you are threatened with and going to deactivate."

"A wise femme once told meh tha' Ah shouldn't promise anythin' outta servo," I joked, but sobered when it was obvious she wasn't in any kind of mood for that. "Ah promise," I said quietly, letting my words get taken away on the breeze.

"I am not the femme you think I am," she sighed through her vents. "Just…remember that knowledge is power, and power corrupts. But there is a balance, but few find and maintain it." Her optics were turned to the horizon, past the city limits and out onto open ground. Slowly, I saw them start to morph deeper into a golden color, but they quickly returned to their mostly silver color. "One orn, I hope to find you again. I hope to see how much you have grown, to learn the secrets you have picked up over the vorns. We are both still quite young, and both of us still have so much to learn.

"But those vorns are becoming harder, and life isn't getting easier. Something is brewing. I have an idea as to what, and the Prime we have now won't do anything. He thinks himself proud and proper and powerful, but power corrupts those who cannot reign it in. In many vorns, I predict, there will be a turning point, and we must all choose a side. There will be no neutrals; they will not be spared.

"Promise me this: that when that orn comes, when the world comes crashing down, do not follow pretty glyphs and those who ooze charisma. Promise me that you will not die for your fellows, but _live_ for them, instead."

All was silent, even the Coliseum in the far distance seemed to quiet, only for the noise to reach my audios after a few astroseconds. I looked to the femme beside me behind my visor, contemplating her. She kept looking past the horizon, as if trying to see a better future.

"Where are ya goin'?" I asked, nervous of her answer. Shadow didn't answer, only kept staring. When I thought she hadn't heard me or was choosing to ignore me, she spoke in the softest voice I had ever heard come from her.

"To a new future." We sat there, side by side, watching as the moons rose above our helms and the bustle of Kaon. A breeze stirred around us, but neither of us moved. Shadow, or whoever she actually was, was beside me for the moment, and both of us were enveloped in a comfortable silence. Yes, the next orn would be something new, something different, but it was a new future that laid before us.

To a new future, full of twists, turns, and pivots. Some orn, I might be the educator to Shadowstriker, but for now, I was content to sit here in her presence, soaking up the last orn I would have with her.


End file.
